Dr Sugandha Kumar, Specialty Trainee, Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust

PriyadarshiniRangappagowda, ST6, Psychiatry,

Other Contributors:

April 29, 2015

I read with great interest Susan Welsh's article 'Crossing the Rubicon? Legal developments in assisted suicide'. We are all aware of the growing pressure in this country to
debate and legislate to permit assisted dying( Graham 2014) . This article
succinctly clarifies the legal standpoint for all clinicians, particularly for
trainees. On a personal and professional level, I have been faced
with complex ethical and clinical dilemmas when dealing with patients
wanting to pursue Euthanasia.
I would like to draw the attention of readers to a small group of patients
we see in clinical practice who have "given up". These are people who are
not cognitively impaired or are clinically depressed. Furthermore, these
are patients, in my experience, who do not respond to any treatment
options and thus have their "face to the wall". My anxiety would be about this
group of people and how the change in law would impact them.
Statistics for assisted dying clinics in Switzerland are reported to
have helped people who present with "weariness of life", rather than a
terminal or progressive condition. In addition, euthanasia has also been
described in the context of personality disorders (Adeyemo 2014).
Whilst the debate about legislation contines, we as Old age
psychiatrists, will be involved in these complex scenarios more than our
colleagues in other specialities.